Tactical and Zombie Swords

Yes, you know what I am talking about - not swords USED by zombies but used AGAINST the shambling, mindless, bloodthirsty horde ticking time-bomb we all know is just a question of time..

But I digress..

The whole 'zombie swords' phenomena began pretty much as soon as the first sword themed discussion boards came online. Many a thread would deteriorate into a tongue in cheek joke was made about how effective a given production sword would be, and how long it would last, if pitted against a charging, zombie horde...

Naturally enough, as we specialize in reviewing and discussing functional swords here on SBG, it could be argued that ANY of the swords we have previously reviewed and tested would make a mighty fine zombie slayer.

But some swords are perhaps better suited to the purpose than others.

And there is no doubt that the sword market in general has, in recent years, embraced promoting specialized zombie swords with a vengeance.

But the true zombie hunter knows that most of the so called zombie swords are for amateurs. Because the big secret is, the best blades for dealing with zombies are rarely labelled as "zombie swords" at all..

Zombie Swords

These days, most of the cheap so called 'zombie swords' can trace their heritage to early 'tactical Ninja' style blades, replacing one craze with another - but in most cases doing nothing but changing the color from black to biohazard green..

Ninja Sword 2005

Zombie Sword...

The problem is, these cheapies are usually quite useless..

VIDEO: Proto-Zombie/Ninja Sword Testing

These kind of swords are back, but now labelled under the zombie swords franchise

The majority of the overly fancy $10-$25 zombie swords are less effective than a machete simply because they are all style and no substance. The blade geometry is wrong, they are made from fragile stainless steel and in truth - if ever there was a need for real zombie swords, these would have to be at the bottom of the list..

You see, the big secret is, the simple machete is actually the true zombie hunters weapon of choice - at least according to the zombie research society who recommend it because it is utilitarian, multipurpose, more or less unbreakable and extremely low maintenance!

Not to mention, they are also EXTREMELY affordable, allowing even the most impoverished would be zombie survivalist to amass a small arsenal of highly effective zombie stoppers!

Machetes

Safety First

Due to the lack of a hand guard, Machetes should be handled
with the utmost of care. Carelessness when using them can easily result
in the loss of
fingers or worse, so even though they are fun, you should treat them
with respect.

Zombies aside for a moment (but only a moment, you just never know when they will rudely claw their way into a discussion) I should probably take a moment to mention that technically, a Machete is not technically a sword.

But the fun part is, the machete's we will be taking a look at are actually very affordable sword/machete hybrids - the best of breed machete swords that take it to a new level - tough bladed, tactical style blades that you would DEFINITELY want to include in your basic 'zombie bug out' kit.

Cold Steel Latin & 2 Handed

'The Black Wind Katana'. This
was the original Tactical 'Ninja' sword that set the standard, an oft
copied design whose cheap knockoffs could not hold a candle to the real
thing.

South East Asian Sword Reviews

Of course, another type of sword that is especially useful against zombies is a good, modern made tactical sword - in other words a blade made from modern steel that uses contemporary fittings made from kraton, paracord, etc with a modern military feel.

Let's take a look at a real classic that was well ahead of it's time, the classic 'Bashee' by Hanwei - and the more traditional, but equally if not more effective Filipino Panabas blade..

BCI Panabas

The Ultimate Zombie Swords...

While all of the tactical and zombie swords we have looked at so far are good, we always found them to be lacking in one area or another.

So here we will look at the best zombie swords - including two that we designed ourselves..

The first is a true tactical, ultra durable sword designed by SBG and made in the USA by Chris Palmer from Scorpion Swords and Knives. Another, also made by a similar method in the USA with a higher price point and longer turnaround time, is the Reaver Cleaver by Zombie Tools.

Made from O7 steel tempered to perfection, it is practically indestructible, handles like a dream and while it is not a sword that is on the open market anymore, it is an excellent example of the kind of stunning blade work John Lundemo and Longship Armory is capable of..

While it had a price tag just shy of $2000, if the zombie apocalypse really did happen, you would think it was the best investment you ever made..